Draw or Break a Footing

[EmmaCox]

How do you draw or break a strip footing and foundation wall?  I made a simple foundation plan that was generated off of the exterior walls of the first floor plan. I then tried to break the footing dashed line to make a strip footing off of it but it won't let me select the dashed footing line for some reason.  Is it because the footing is invisible or something? 

[joey_martin]

Can't select footings in Chief.....sigh. You can draw a slab footing at the same depth and bump them against each other and they should connect.

[Alaskan_Son]

Not sure I fully understand the question. Attaching a screenshot or plan showing what you're trying to do might help. If I do understand what you're saying though, it sounds like you want to continue a section of footing without the wall. If that is correct, there are a few options you have depending on your overall goal.

1. Ideally, you should probably use the wall type that you will be placing on top of the footing and set the wall as a foundation wall. This will give you your footing. You can put the wall on its own layer and turn it off so just the footing shows if you want.

2. Set the wall section as an invisible wall. Again, you can put the wall on its own layer and turn it off (or just turn off the invisible wall layer) so only the footing shows in plan view.

3. As Joey said you can draw a slab footing. This is really the same thing as option 2 except that by default the wall type is set to the same width as the footing. You would still need to set it to be invisible to display correctly.

 

Each of the above methods has its own strengths and weaknesses but I think #1 is probably the best.  You'll just have to figure out what works best for your particular situation.

There may be other ways but those are a few that come to mind.

[Kenoeightspot]

You can select the footings and change the width either the interior or exterior just select and move the dot.

If you cut the wall in two places you can change the footing direction.

[Alaskan_Son]

You can select the footings and change the width either the interior or exterior just select and move the dot.

If you cut the wall in two places you can change the footing direction.

 

Good tip William!  Only small downside is that if you want the footing to span from one foundation wall to another you don't get a clean "join" (i.e. the footings don't "heal")...you end up with an extra line.  Again, very good tip.

[MickeyToo]

Yes, very good tip!

 

Great for when adding on to an existing wall/footing to carry a new load.

 

Thanks

[joey_martin]

Breaking the wall is the process I use now when needing to pull the footing under a pilaster, or as above mentioned a new or existing point load needing a wider footing. We need the ability to select and manipulate footing though, with the wall break workaround.

[EmmaCox]

You can select the footings and change the width either the interior or exterior just select and move the dot.

If you cut the wall in two places you can change the footing direction.

Thanks! The only issue i'm having is extending the footing past the foundation wall, the footing still comes up flush at the end of the wall.

[MickeyToo]

Emma

 

This is new to me too, but it looks like you have to extend the footing parallel to the wall to get the footing to extend beyond the end of the wall. From what I can gather it looks to be a two to one ratio. So extend the footing to one side 12" and it will add 6" to the footing on the end of the wall, which should already extend beyond the end of the wall by a certain amount depending on your defaults. Extend the footing on both sides by 12" and it will add 12" to the footing on the end of the wall. 

 

This is a workaround so it is definitely not perfect. 

 

Hope this helps. 

[Kenoeightspot]

We do need a lot more control over the footings, workarounds take too much of our time.